1922
Washington Naval Treaty
Signed by Britain, France, Italy and Japan, this treaty limited naval
construction by the major powers after the First World War (Germany was
already limited by the Treaty of Versailles, and was not invited). This
landmark treaty was one of two which defined the naval forces that each
side would have at their disposal at the outbreak of World War Two.

1930 London Naval TreatyThe 1930 London Naval Treaty was an
extension of the 1922 Washington Naval Treaty, addressing issues such as
aircraft carriers, submarines, cruisers and destroyers. This treaty, along
with the Washington treaty, largely defined the size and composition of
the navies of the major powers at the start of the Second World War.

1935 Anglo-German Naval
AgreementThis stunning agreement between
Great Britain and Germany allowed Germany to build a fleet greater than
either the French or Italian navies, and allowed them to have a submarine
fleet equal to the largest in the world.

1936 London Naval TreatyThis treaty was an attempt to
Britain, France and the USA to secure an extension to the lapsing naval
treaties, signed in Washington in 1922 and London in 1930. Although Japan
initially attended, they withdrew before agreement was reached. Without
Japan's agreement the treaty was meaningless, and this treaty was never
enforced.

1940 Tripartite PactThe agreement forming the 'axis' of
Germany, Japan and Italy was known as the Tripartite Pact, and the looseness
of the ties between the European nations and Japan is clear from this text.
The main clause in the treaty was the agreement to divide the world into the
European and Japanese spheres of influence.

1941 An
Act to Promote the Defense of the United StatesMore commonly known as the "Lend-Lease Act", this piece of
legislation allowed the President of the United States to require the
manufacture of weapons and other equipment within the United States, using
US funds, for transfer to any other country that the President chose.

Ship
Types
What is the difference between an Escort Carrier and a Merchant Aircraft
Carrier; a Battlecruiser and a Pocket Battleship; a Sloop and a Corvette? Find out the definitions of the
different types of warships, and how they were used in World War Two.